Meet the Members of the Consortium

Working collaboratively to increase commercial hazelnut production in North America — that’s what brings the Consortium members together. Meet the team and discover what role each member institution is playing in the research and development of hybrid hazelnuts.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has been conducting research on hazelnuts for more than ten years. This research has focused on yield, oil yield, cold hardiness, drought resistance, and bioenergy. UNL has also developed mechanical equipment for hazelnuts.

In addition, the Nebraska Forest Service has for many decades specialized in the extension of forestry entrepreneurship and tree care to landowners and the general public. The Nebraska Forest Service has helped spur and create numerous extension and outreach programs to inform and educate farmers and other agricultural professionals about hybrid hazelnuts.

Key Findings

An average hazelnut could produce nearly two times the amount of oil per acre compared to soybeans (Hammond, 2006).

The physical/chemical characteristics of hazelnuts for biodiesel are substantially superior to soybean oil (Xu and Hanna, 2007).

The percentage of oil per hazelnut kernel ranges from 56.1% to 75.2% (Josiah, 2007).

Hazelnut oil has a unique fatty acid composition, thermal stability, and low temperature properties that should increase its value over soybean oil for a number of applications (Xu, 2007).

Rutgers University has been conducting research on hazelnuts since 1996. This research has focused on Eastern Filbert Blight resistance (the major challenge for hazelnuts in the eastern U.S.) as well as pest resistance, cold hardiness, yield, and the overall development of hazelnuts for northern climates. Part of this work includes wide germplasm exploration and collection, with focus on newly accessible regions of the former Soviet Union.

Oregon State University has been conducting research on hazelnuts since 1969. This research has focused on the development of new hazelnut cultivars for the Oregon hazelnut industry, Eastern Filbert Blight (EFB)resistance, microsatellite marker development, and DNA markers for EFB resistance. Part of this work includes wide germplasm exploration and collection to increase the world’s largest hazelnut germplasm collection.

In addition to research, Oregon State University provides significant extension and outreach to the Oregon Hazelnut Growers, Scientific Committee of International Congresses on Hazelnuts, and Northern Nut Growers.

Watch a summary of the progress Oregon State is making in the hazelnut industry.

The Arbor Day Foundation began the Hazelnut Research Project in 1996 with plantings of hybrid hazelnuts at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, Nebraska. By 2000, the project evolved to include charter members across the nation conducting research on hazelnuts in their own backyards and has reached nearly 80,000 active members.

CAREER SUMMARY:

As Deputy Director of the Nebraska Forest Service (NFS), I help lead a dynamic, progressive and growing state forestry agency administratively housed within the University of Nebraska. This is a senior level leadership position responsible for supporting and implementing administrative, financial, personnel, planning, facilities and programs, processes and policies. Duties include the oversight of the NFS employee and personnel processes and procedures, supervision of financial and fiscal accounts, supervision of administrative and support staff, and communication/outreach education programs. As Deputy, I support the development, management and communication of the agency strategic plan to achieve the mission, vision and goals of the agency. I provide oversight and direction for the five programs operational plans which support the strategic plan of the agency. The program operational plans provide specific objectives for each program through the identification of program priorities, action items and timelines.

In this position, I provide oversight, management and reporting of NFS competitive grants process. I work with staff to identify priority issues, grants, projects and assist in proposal development, writing, and reporting. This includes ensuring projects and programs meet deliverables on time and within budget. Specifically, I assist Program Leaders and staff with implementation and oversight of NFS internal granting programs (pass through) including Volunteer Firefighter Assistance, Wildland Urban Interface and Landscape Scale Restoration grants as well as managing the NFS Forest Legacy Program.

My responsibilities include providing leadership in coalition/team building and partnership development including working with Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) to develop a Type 3 Incident Command for Nebraska. With staff, I work with SFMO to cooperatively provide NWCG training in Nebraska to increase capacity within the Wildland Firefighting community.

As Deputy Director, my responsibility focuses on the day to day internal operations of the agency with emphasis on administration, reporting, facilities, technology and human resources. I am essentially working as the “Chief of Staff” for the Director, which allows him to focus on high level external matters, the agency mission and collaborating at a national level. I work with the Director on strategic and growth opportunities, staff professional development, best practices and all aspects of budgeting process.

NFS facilities include the on campus resources, 4 properties and outstate office setting. As Deputy I am responsible for the overall management of the properties and the environmental health and safety at each facility. In addition, I work with staff to develop properties as state of the art examples of good forestry practice in Nebraska.

Other duties includes advocacy through promotion of agency policy, coordination of annual operations plan and budgets, lead performance management effort and promoting a motivated work place environment through the open door policy and access by staff, balancing program needs against the realities of the budget while implementing a strategic vision of the NFS, IANR and University.

Previous Experience

Executive Management Team, Northwest Management, Inc. (NMI) 2002-2014

More than 12 years of experience as part of the executive management team for Northwest Management, Inc. Responsibilities included budgeting and forecasting the economic results, economic outcome of the Land Operations and Area Operations Divisions, as well as the company.

As part of the executive management team and board of directors, responsible for implementing the company’s growth initiatives, business plan and strategic planning. Involved in the company’s budgeting and forecasting, development of company policy, implementation of the company business plan and the financial results. Additionally, involved in the company benefit package including a trustee of the 401k plan, health insurance, flex medical plan and other company benefits.

Land Operations Manager, (NMI) 2008-2014

Have more than 25 years’ experience as a Natural Resource Manager working with private non-industrial landowners (NIPF) as well as industrial, state, tribal and federal agencies. Primary responsibilities included the oversight, budgeting and quality control of a private natural resource consulting firm’s (Northwest Management, Inc.) Land Operations Division which include the timber sale program, hazard management program, log marketing, rangeland management program, and reforestation programs.

Directly responsible for the development of new programs and projects within the company. These programs included the Transportation Logistic program and Water Resource Division. As part of the development of new programs responsible for research and development of each project, development of a business plan, hiring personnel, implementation of the business plan and the financial outcome for each new project.

Area Operations Manager (NMI) 2000-2008 and 2010-2014

Manager of the company’s several branch offices operating in Deer Park, Washington, Helena, Montana and St Maries, Idaho. Each office was staffed with an area forester, staff foresters and seasonal employees. Responsibility included the implementation of the company’s business plan and quality control of each branch office including the economic outcome of the area operations.

Timber Sale Administrator (NMI) 1996-2000

Worked with private landowners, contractor and staff to setup, market and sell timber resources owned by non-industrial private forest owners. Provided oversight and administration of contracts, managed financial outcome and utilized Forest Best Management Practices to implement silvicultural prescriptions on the properties.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Timber Management and Log Marketing Program

Oversight of the company’s private non-industrial timber sale program. This program harvests between 10 to 15 mmbf annually. Clients ranged from small acreage owners to large ranches and community watersheds. Included in the responsibilities was determining the objectives of the client, preparation of the sale including unit layout, road layout, development and implementation of the silvicultural prescription, a forest health assessment, timber marking, contract negotiations, and sale administration including contract enforcement.

As part of the NIPF timber sale program, responsible for preparing bid prospectus for all private timber sales. This involves participation in the closing of the sale packages and the evaluation of the bids to determine the best net return for the landowners.

During those 25 years, thousands of private timber sales were evaluated for feasibility and rate of return.

Hazard Management

Responsible for the fuels hazard management program at Northwest Management, Inc. This encompassed responsibility for the development and oversight of the program. Annually the Hazard Management Program broadcast burns between 7,000 and 15,000 acres of tribal, private, industrial, federal and state lands. The units were burned using a combination of heli-torch, drip torch, or terra torch. In addition, the program operated 7 wildland fire engines. Managing this program required staying current on National Wildland Coordinating Group’s Incident Management Qualification System (IQS) for staff and overhead.

Rangeland Management

Manager of the Rangeland Management Program. The range program was responsible for the monitoring of the range condition and trend on rangelands for private non-industrial and industrial clients. This included sensitive plant surveys, working with private landowners to implement grazing systems, and writing grazing management plans. As part of these plans recommendations are made to landowners for improving animal distribution and improving the overall range condition. The prescriptive plans are written to move the property toward the desired plant community.

Within the range department, I completed natural resource condition assessments on LARO, JODA, NEPE, CRMO, HAFO, BIHO, CIRO and WHMI National Parks within the Upper Columbia Basin Network (UCBN). The projects encompassed well over 1.5 million acres of park lands where ecosystems were analyzed using rapid assessment techniques to determine proper functioning condition in upland and riparian habitats. Upland analysis used the BLM’s ‘Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health’ and riparian analysis follows EPA’s ‘Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (RBP)’ and the BLM’s ‘Proper Functioning Condition (PFC) Assessment Strategy for Loctic Habitats.’ Stressors and threats to each park were identified through this process. Based on this information, recommendations were developed for protecting good functioning habitats and improving poor habitats.

Within the range department, a 5 year mapping project was contracted to complete the design, field data collection, photographic interpretation, map production, and final reports for 8 parks in the UCBN. All field data was collected using the Archer Field Data recorders utilizing Windows Mobile 5.0 operating systems. Data was analyzed and classified into plant associations following National Vegetation Classification Standards. National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery and other similar aerial photography were used for delineation of vegetative signatures using photographic interpretation. Accuracy assessments were made for each vegetation map to meet the 80% accuracy level for each map class. All final reports were completed in the NPS Natural Resource Technical Report format.

Transportation Logistics

Directly involved in a Central Dispatch Logistics Program designed to organize the haulage of forest products in the Inland West. This was the first effort of its kind in the World where NMI and its staff brought together multiple companies and multiple sectors to improve the efficiency of log haulage. Implementation of this program involved working with logging contractors, industrial clients and trucking contractors to implement a centralized dispatch system in the Inland West.

Water Resource Program

Assisted staff in the development of this new program. Responsibilities included development of project and cost proposals, budgeting, work plans and training of staff. The water resource program completed 2 large bridge replacement projects where county road districts teamed with NMI to develop grant proposals for the Office of Species Conservation in Idaho. The grants were awarded based on merit of the proposed project and these projects were completed in 2013. In addition NMI worked with 2 private landowners on developing grant proposals for 2 stream restoration projects with one funded and the second one pending.

Reforestation Program

Managing the reforestation program which plants between 2.1-3.5 million seedlings annually for industrial and non-industrial clients. For the industrial clients, NMI provided staff to oversee the quality of planting and managed the crews on a daily basis. In addition is the management of the cold storage facilities located in St Maries, Idaho. The cold storage units have a capacity of 2.5 million seedlings.

Resource Planning

Writing and preparing county-wide fuels hazard assessments and mitigation plans. As part of the plans was preparation of on-site evaluations for communities throughout the west. These fuels hazard assessment and mitigation plans were action plans for each community to reduce the hazards associated from wildfire.

Initiated the community forestry assistance program providing support to communities in north central Idaho. Program included working with tree boards as well as completing community tree assessment with the goal of maintaining Tree City USA recognition. Participated in community Tree City USA program within the communities.

Resource Management Plans were written for clients in Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming. As part of the management plans was an evaluation and assessment of the resources to provide a specific prescription to meet the landowner objectives. Recently, a Multi-Resource Management Plan prepared for the Wind River Reservation was nominated for a Presidential Stewardship Award.

Previous Experience

Northwest Management, Inc. Natural Resource Professional 1989-1996

Private timber sales

Prescribed burning and wildfire suppression

Management plans for forest and rangeland properties

Job costing and budgeting at a project level

Forest and range inventories

Community tree inventories

Reforestation administration

Graduate Research Assistant, 1991-1993

University of Idaho College of Forestry, Wildlife and Range Sciences

Design of the research project, data collection and evaluation of data with little direct supervision.

Specifically, research was conducted on methods available for estimating the production and utilization of shrub species in northern Idaho.